Chinese online retail giant JD.com has opened two new innovative stores at Beijing Capital International Airport and Hohhot East Railway Station in Inner Mongolia.

GENERAL MERCHANDISE

JD.com opens two new innovative stores at travel hubs

3 January 2019 | by The Retail Bulletin

Chinese online retail giant JD.com has opened two new innovative stores at Beijing Capital International Airport and Hohhot East Railway Station in Inner Mongolia.

At Hohhot East Railway Station, JD has teamed up with China Railway Express to open a 100 square metre unmanned convenience store which uses facial recognition payment and smart vending machines that automatically process payments once customers select their products and close the door of the machines. Later on, the store will use a mini programme in WeChat to enable shoppers to either buy products there and then and take them away with them or to shop online and have their items delivered to a convenient location.

Meanwhile, the store in the departure lounge of Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport will remain open for three months and will sell a range of clothing, mobile accessories, beauty products, bags and suitcases. In addition, it will use JD’s smart store technology to analyse customer behaviour and traffic flow. This will include the generation of heat maps to assist with product selection and inventory management.

Bing Zhang, general manager of JD social ecommerce and retail innovation, said: “Many of our customers enjoy shopping while travelling and we’re determined to make sure they benefit from the convenience of JD wherever they are. The new stores in Beijing and Inner Mongolia will provide them with a truly seamless experience that is unrivalled anywhere.”

Digitally native competitors and demanding customers are forcing a new perspective in retail. AI and machine learning can help you step up to the challenges; and some ‘small and beautiful’ solutions can increase your conversion rates within just a few weeks.